Travel Destination – Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Winter is the perfect time to visit Puerto Vallarta located on the Pacific Ocean’s Bahia de Banderas of Mexico. From December through March, you could enjoy a pleasant weather which is ideal to explore the city and its surroundings.
When you arrive in Puerto Vallarta, time vanishes because you feel at your ease. There are plenty of things to experience whether you are traveling with family, as a couple or solo. At the airport, you will be solicited by tour operator agencies for excursions. Our advice is to plan your trip in advance and take the time to read customer reviews online before booking for an activity. Let us share with you our epic journey in Puerto Vallarta…
We started our vacation in Puerto Vallarta by booking a city guided tour to have an overview of this beautiful place. Most of the tour operator agencies offering this excursion will bring you to local areas of interest such as El Malecon promenade, the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the main square, the artisan market Pueblo Viejo, the Old Vallarta aka Zona Romantica and many more.
Walking along El Malecon was the highlight of our city guided tour. El Malecón is located in the historical centre of Puerto Vallarta next to the sea with a beautiful view on the bay. As the main attraction place, there is a large concentration of restaurants, bars, shops, and sculptures. It is also a great spot to meet locals and admire the sunset.
As foodies, we are always looking for the finest places! To explore the food scene as a local, we tried the Bikes & Bites – A Tour De Taco organized by Puerto Vallarta Food Tours. While cycling through to the cobblestone streets of Puerto Vallarta (for your safety bike slowly and be aware of cars), we explored iconic sights and local spots including Los Muertos Beach Pier, a local fish market, a tortilla factory, a homemade artisanal ice cream, and a beachfront bar.
During this 3 hours tour, we made several stops at different taco locations specialized in carnitas, barbacoa, chilaquiles, and carne asada. As vegan, we were able to taste delicious tortillas, sauces, vegetables, and guacamole at each locations. When we finished the activity, we went to Veggie Table restaurant to eat our last bites of tacos to complete this memorable adventure. Veggie Table is a vegan restaurant located steps away from the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and offers many options of tasty tacos.
To learn more about Mexican rural history and traditions, we did an excursion to San Sebastian del Oeste with Vallarta Adventures. This antiquated town Located approximately two hours outside of Puerto Vallarta dates back to 1605 and was famous thanks to its silver mines. The winding roads that lead to San Sebastian del Oeste offer a terrific scenic view on the mountains carpeted in dense tropical vegetation.
En route to San Sebastian del Oeste, we did a couple of stops including the Panaderia de Carmen where we tasted delicious pastries, the Hacienda Don Lalin which is a traditional tequila factory, and the lovely Hacienda Jalisco.
San Sebastian del Oeste is one of the Pueblos Magicos de Mexico; a place with legends, history and surprises. Today, with its 600 inhabitants, the town has preserved its traditional colonial architecture. During our walking tour, we enjoyed fine Mexican food at Abierto restaurant, visited the 18th century town church and attended a silversmith workshop. Before leaving the town, we went to the Casa Museo de Dona Conchita Encarnacion, which is a small private house; there, we were told the history of the Encarnacion family, one of the wealthiest families of San Sebastian del Oeste.
To add a dose of adrenaline to our journey, we experienced a zip line adventure deep into the sub-tropical forest of the Sierra Madre with Vallarta Adventures. This epic tour includes a series of 9 zip lines through the rainforest, rappel beside crashing waterfalls and hike through the jungle.
We never tried zip line before because we are not that comfortable with height but we were convinced that the equipments used by Vallarta Adventure were safe. In fact, they have double-security wire zip lines and comply with international standards. When we arrived at the top of the mountains, the thrills begin as we flew at 1000 foot while admiring the breathtaking view. We also had so much fun when splashing through streams and natural river pools. This activity was definitely an unforgettable moment of our trip.
During our trip, we stayed at Riu Jalisco Club Hotel located in Nuevo Vallarta. This beachfront resort situated on the white sands of the Playa de Flamingos offers all the facilities you need to relax and enjoy your stay. Visit our Instagram for more pictures 🙂
